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Paolo E. Coletta Papers, 1953-1999 (bulk 1997-1999): Finding Aid

Published in August 2018

Summary Information

  • Publisher: United States Naval Academy. Special Collections & Archives.
  • Publisher Address:
    589 McNair Road
    Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5029, USA
    Phone: 410-293-6917
    https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/index.php
  • Call number: MS 465
  • Location: Special Collections & Archives Department - Manuscripts
  • Title: Paolo E. Coletta Papers
  • Dates: 1953-1999
  • Bulk Dates: 1997-1999
  • Size: 1.25 linear feet
  • Container Summary: 3 manuscript boxes
  • Creator: Coletta, Paolo Enrico, 1916-
  • Language(s) of material: English
  • Abstract: Paolo Coletta was a historian and professor of history at the United States Naval Academy. The Paolo E. Coletta Papers span from 1953 to 1999, with a bulk of the documentation starting in 1997. The papers consist predominantly of typescripts of Coletta's biographies of Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, Rear Admiral William A Moffett, and Vice Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, as well as supplements to his bibliography on American naval history.

Biography of Paolo E. Coletta

Paolo Enrico Coletta was born on February 3, 1916 in Plainfield, New Jersey to Alberto Sisto and Maria Comenica Coletta. After receiving his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Columbia, he embarked upon a career in teaching, holding posts at the University of Missouri and Stephens Junior College. In 1943, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy Reserve. Attached to U.S.S. Lowry (Destroyer: DD-770), he saw action aboard that vessel during the invasion of Luzon and during air strikes against Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Following his discharge from active duty in 1946, Coletta resumed teaching, accepting positions at South Dakota State University and University of Louisville before joining the faculty of the United States Naval Academy in 1946 as a member of the Department of English, History and Government, and later the History Department. While at the Academy, Coletta also taught courses for the University of Maryland, George Washington University, Loyola College of Maryland, and Anne Arundel Community College, as well as teaching graduate courses to Navy Reservists beginning in 1951. As a scholar and author, Coletta completed numerous works, including biographies of Bradley Fiske, Marc Mitscher, William Moffett, William Howard Taft, and William Jennings Bryan, as well as bibliographies of American naval history and Marine Corps history.

Coletta retired from the Naval Academy in 1983, after having previously retired from the Naval Reserves in 1973 with the rank of captain. Paolo Enrico Coletta died on May 22, 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland.

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Description of Contents

The Paolo E. Coletta Papers, comprising 1.25 linear feet of documentation, span from 1953 to 1999, with a bulk of the documentation starting in 1997. The papers consist predominantly of typescripts of Coletta's biographies of Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, Rear Admiral William A Moffett, and Vice Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, as well as supplements to his bibliography on American naval history.

The collection is composed of typescripts and photographs.

The Coletta Papers are arranged alphabetically by title into a single series with no subdivisions. Nearly one half of the collection consists of three subsequent drafts of a supplement to American Naval History: A Guide. The remainder of the collection consists of single drafts of Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation: Bald Eagle (originally entitled "Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation), Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation (originally entitled "For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation), and "Vice Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, USN," which appears as a chapter in We Shall Return!: MacArthur's Commanders and the Defeat of Japan, 1942-1945, edited by William M. Leary. Filed at the end of the collection are photographs of Secretary of the Navy Robert B. Anderson, Colonel Gregory Boyington, Captain Joy Bright Hancock, and Vice Admiral William Raborn, which were likely used in Coletta's other publications.

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Arrangement

The Paolo E. Coletta Papers are arranged alphabetically by title; thereunder by chapter, where applicable.

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Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

The Paolo E. Coletta Papers are the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

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Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Gift of Paolo E. Coletta in July 1997, August 1997, and 2000. Accession Nos. 97-52, 97-53, and 00-18.

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Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Photographs of Paolo E. Coletta are available in RG 405.10: Still Pictures/Faculty and Staff.

Materials Cataloged Separately

Multiple photographs, particularly of Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and Rear Admiral William A Moffett, were separated at the time of accessioning and cataloged in the Special Collections Picture File and Transitional Picture File.

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Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Paolo E. Coletta Papers, MS 465

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the biographical note:

"Paolo Coletta." The Capital (May 29, 2007): A-13.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by David D'Onofrio in August 2018. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in August 2018.

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Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

  • Admirals -- United States -- Biography
  • Barbey, Daniel E. (Daniel Edward), 1889-1969
  • Coletta, Paolo Enrico, 1916-
  • Mitscher, Marc Andrew, 1887-1947
  • Moffett, William A. (William Adger), 1869-1933
  • United States -- History, Naval -- Bibliography
  • United States. Navy -- History -- Bibliography

Genre Terms

  • Faculty papers
  • Manuscripts
  • Photographs
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Contents List

Box 1 Folder 1

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Table of Contents, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 2

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 1: Selected Bibliographical Aids and Reference Works, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 3

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 2: Concepts and Definitions, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 4

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 3: Ships, Colonies, and Wars, 1689-1776, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 5

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 4: Naval Power in the War of the American Revolution, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 6

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 5: A Chip on the European War Table, 1783-1815, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 7

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 6: The U.S. Navy in Peace and War, 1815-1861, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 8

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 7: Naval Power in the American Civil War, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 9

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 8: The Post-Civil War Denouement, 1865-1898, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 10

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 9: The Spanish-American War, The Philippine Insurrection, and the Boxer Rebellion, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 11

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 10: The U.S. Navy comes of Age, 1898-1914, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 12

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 11: Naval Power and World War I: Europe, 1914-1917, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 13

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 12: The U.S. Navy in World War I, 1917-1919, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 14

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 13: Naval Armament and Disarmament, 1918-1941, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 15

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 14: The Coming of World War II, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 16

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 15: World War II in the Atlantic, September 1939-7 December 1941, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 17

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 16:The U.S. Navy in World War II: The Atlantic, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 18

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 17: World War II in the Pacific: Part I: Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 19

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 18: World War II in the Pacific: Part II: The Campaign Against Rabaul, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 20

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 19: World War II in the Pacific: Part III: The Dual Advance and the End of the Japanese Empire, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 21

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 20: The Cold War and U.S. Defense Reorganization, 1945-1950, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 22

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 21: Korea and Continued Communist Containment, 1951-1963, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 23

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 22: John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s and 1970s, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 24

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 23: The Challenge of the Soviet Navy and the U.S. Navy's Forward Maritime Strategy, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 25

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 24: Seapower for the 1980s, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 26

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 25: Reagan and the Rearming of America, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 27

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 26: Reagan and Nuclear Power: SDI, START, and SALT without SALT, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 28

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Chapter 27: George Bush and William J. Clinton's First Presidential Term, 1989-1997, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 29

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Special Topics, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 30

American Naval History: A Guide (Tentative Supplement 1) - Index, 1997 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 31

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 1: Selected Bibliographical Aids and Reference Works, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 32

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 2: Concepts and Definitions, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 33

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 3: Ships, Colonies, and Wars, 1689-1776, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 34

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 4: Naval Power in the War of the American Revolution, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 35

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 5: A Chip on the European War Table, 1783-1815, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 36

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 6: The U.S. Navy in Peace and War, 1815-1861, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 37

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 7: Naval Power in the American Civil War, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 38

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 8: The Post-Civil War Denouement, 1865-1898, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 39

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 9: The Spanish-American War, The Philippine Insurrection, and the Boxer Rebellion, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 40

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 10: The U.S. Navy comes of Age, 1898-1914, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 41

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 11: Naval Power and World War I: Europe, 1914-1917, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 42

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 12: The U.S. Navy in World War I, 1917-1919, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 43

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 13: Naval Armament and Disarmament, 1918-1941, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 44

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 14: The Coming of World War II, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 45

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 15: World War II in the Atlantic, September 1939-7 December 1941, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 46

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 16:The U.S. Navy in World War II: The Atlantic, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 47

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 17: World War II in the Pacific: Part I: Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 48

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 18: World War II in the Pacific: Part II: The Campaign Against Rabaul, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 49

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 19: World War II in the Pacific: Part III: The Dual Advance and the End of the Japanese Empire, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 50

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 20: The Cold War and U.S. Defense Reorganization, 1945-1950, 1999 (approximate)

Box 1 Folder 51

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 21: Korea and Continued Communist Containment, 1951-1963, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 1

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 22: John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s and 1970s, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 2

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 23: The Challenge of the Soviet Navy and the U.S. Navy's Forward Maritime Strategy, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 3

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 24: Seapower for the 1980s, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 4

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 25: Reagan and the Rearming of America, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 5

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 26: Reagan and Nuclear Power: SDI, START, and SALT without SALT, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 6

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 27: George Bush and William J. Clinton's First Presidential Term, 1989-1997, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 7

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Special Topics, 1999 (approximate)

Box 2 Folder 8

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Table of Contents, undated

Box 2 Folder 9

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 19: World War II in the Pacific: Part III: The Dual Advance and the End of the Japanese Empire, undated

Box 2 Folder 10

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 20: The Cold War and U.S. Defense Reorganization, 1945-1950, undated

Box 2 Folder 11

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 21: Korea and Continued Communist Containment, 1951-1963, undated

Box 2 Folder 12

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 22: John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s and 1970s, undated

Box 2 Folder 13

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 23: The Challenge of the Soviet Navy and the U.S. Navy's Forward Maritime Strategy, undated

Box 2 Folder 14

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 24: Seapower for the 1980s, undated

Box 2 Folder 15

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 25: Reagan and the Rearming of America, undated

Box 2 Folder 16

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 26: Reagan and Nuclear Power: SDI, START, and SALT without SALT, undated

Box 2 Folder 17

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Chapter 27: George Bush and William J. Clinton's First Presidential Term, 1989-1997, undated

Box 2 Folder 18

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Special Topics, undated

Box 2 Folder 19

American Naval History: A Guide (Supplement 1) - Index, undated

Box 2 Folder 20

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Title Page and Acknowledgements, 1997

Box 2 Folder 21

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 1: The Making of a Sailorman, 1997

Box 2 Folder 22

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 2: Early Bird, 1997

Box 2 Folder 23

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 3: The May 1919 Transatlantic Flight, 1997

Box 2 Folder 24

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 4: Naval Aviation and National Defense, 1919-1929, 1997

Box 2 Folder 25

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 5: Ashore, At Sea, and Ashore Again, 1930-1941, 1997

Box 2 Folder 26

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 6: The Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, 18 April 1942, 1997

Box 2 Folder 27

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 7: Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway, 1997

Box 2 Folder 28

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 8: "Nail Yamamoto": The Guadalcanal Air Campaign, 1997

Box 2 Folder 29

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 9: The Fast Carriers at the Gilberts and Marshalls, 1997

Box 2 Folder 30

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 10: Two Pacific Drives -- and Enter Arleigh Burke, 1997

Box 2 Folder 31

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 11: The Battle of the Philippine Sea, or the Marianas Turkey Shoot, 1997

Box 3 Folder 1

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 12: The Battle for Leyte Gulf, 1997

Box 3 Folder 2

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 13: Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and Japan, 1944-1945, 1997

Box 3 Folder 3

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 14: DCNO (Air), Commander Eighth Fleet, and Commander Atlantic Fleet, 1997

Box 3 Folder 4

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 15: A Measure of the Man, 1997

Box 3 Folder 5

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Notes, 1997

Box 3 Folder 6

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Maps and Plates, 1997

Box 3 Folder 7

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Selected Sources, 1997

Box 3 Folder 8

"Bald Eagle": Admiral Marc A. Mitscher and U.S. Naval Aviation - Index, 1997

Box 3 Folder 9

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Title Page, Table of Contents, and Acknowledgements, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 10

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 1: "The Admiral is on the Akron", 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 11

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 2: From Sea to Sky, 1869-1921, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 12

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 3: Aerial Bombing Tests, Organizing the Bureau of Aeronautics, and the Washington Conference, 1921-1922, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 13

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 4: Getting Naval Aviation to Sea on the Back of the Fleet, 1922-1925, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 14

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 5: Airships and Airship Policy, 1921-1925, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 15

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Plates, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 16

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 6: A Three-Ring Circus with Sideshows, 1925, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 17

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 7: Airborne Again, 1926-1929, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 18

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 8: The Unprecedented Third Appointment, 1929, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 19

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 9: Naval Aviation and Disarmament, 1929-1931, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 20

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 10: "Battles Are in Progress, Not Daily, But Hourly," 1931-1933, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 21

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 11: Airships, 1926-1933, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 22

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Chapter 12: A Measure of the Man, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 23

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Selected Sources, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 24

"For the Good of the Ship": Admiral William A. Moffett and U.S. Naval Aviation - Index, 1997 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 25

"Vice Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, USN", 1988 (approximate)

Box 3 Folder 26

Photographs, 1953-1960, undated

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